Blockbuster
by thew40
Summary: I'M BACK! The Hulk falls, Daredevil and Spider-Man meet once more, and the big picture stands revealed! Please R&R!
1. Prelude

A couple of things. First of all, Marvel owns all these characters. I don't. They're their property. I gain no profit from this. Second, this story is a crossover. I'll warn you - it contains spoilers for "X-Men", "X-Men 2", "Hulk", "Spider-Man", and "Daredevil." Please send me feedback. I want to know what you think.

Prelude

Daddy was gone and that's all Bruce Banner could remember.

The Gamma Charge - the green light - exploded, sending his father, David away. The monster that Bruce had become . . . this creature . . . this _Hulk_ . . . was transforming into human. Into Banner.

_Puny human . . ._ Bruce heard it say. _Puny human . . . puny Banner . . ._

Bruce tried to pry open his eyes - tried to swim him way back to life - but the voice kept stopping him. Like it was tugging him backwards, wanting the monster to replace him. But Banner swatted it away and pushed forward. The monster's voice, though, echoed after Banner.

_Puny Banner . . . you like it and you feel guilty . . . you don't like it . . . but you want it . . ._

Banner grimed himself and pushed upwards, away from the monster that called after him._ I'm everything you hide inside . . . everything that you hate . . . I am the Hulk . . ._

Bruce snapped up, flying out of the water. His father had become some sort of . . . absorbing man. But the green light - a Gamma Charge - had incinerated him. How did . . . how did Banner survive such a thing? That's when he realized something. He didn't. The Hulk did.

Banner walked out of the lake, and across the scarred ground, his body soaking wet and exhausted. He picked up speed as he heard two helicopters approaching. Bruce hid underneath a rock formation as the spotlights swept along the ground. He was safe.

Dawn came swiftly and by that time, Bruce had made it to a road. Snatching up a pair of clothes from a trailer park, he was fully dressed. Standing by the side of the road, he stuck out his thumb, hoping that someone would find him before . . . Betty?

No, Banner realized. Being with Betty would only make them both vulnerable right now. He would contact her when he needed to. When it was safe to.

A truck pulled up then, and the driver - a portly gentlemen with a scraggily beard - offered him a ride.

"Where ya headed?"

Bruce paused before answering. "North. As far north as you'll take me."


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Six months later . . .

It was the sound of tires popping that caught his attention. It wasn't just one of them, either. No. He wouldn't be leaping off of buildings if it were so. Four tires popped open, and now there was shouting. Two men . . . no, three men. Threatening the driver.

_"Get the hell outta the car!"_

"We're armed! Move it!"

"Don't hurt me! Please, just take the money and go!"

"We don't want the money and you know it."

The man calling himself Daredevil shot across the rooftops, his super-senses immediately coming to life as the surroundings flowed around him. The billy-club, serving as his rope, yanked him down safely from the high-rises of Hell's Kitchen to the street level.

And right next to the car that was being robbed.

Bullets were fired as Daredevil ignored the threats. He dodged them, and moved away from the punches that were being delivered. He laid out two of the men, sending them to the ground. He followed the sound the third man footsteps as he ran for it.

But before Daredevil could do anything, he needed to check on the driver of the car. Just as he was reaching out to the man (his radar like senses informing him of his location), there was a sudden sound that was unlike anything he had ever heard before.

A heartbeat, fast. It gave the impression of a man, most definitely. But there was one sound he was having trouble figuring out. It sounded like a . . . like a . . . spider shooting a web?

Oh no, not him.

A foot smacked right into Daredevil's chest, sending the red clad hero of Hell's Kitchen to the street. Sonics gave off the location and - to an extent - the features of this man. Daredevil recognized him. Spider-Man.

"Leave him alone, hornhead," Spider-Man yelped, moving towards Daredevil.

"No!" shouted the driver. "He saved me!"

"Huh?" yelped Spider-Man, glancing between the two. "Oh man, I'm sorry."

Daredevil stood up. "Shut up," he grumbled. "If you want to help out, webslinger, keep these two down and follow me. And stay the hell outta my way."

Spider-Man shot two web nets at the pair that Daredevil had taken down, then followed Daredevil. "This is kinda fun," he said. "Sorry about kicking you. But hey, you know, this should prove to be a blast. Two urban legends, getting together, fighting crime."

"Spider-Man?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

With that, Daredevil shot up his billy-club and swung up between two buildings. Spider-Man followed through, using his webs to propel his body. Daredevil didn't like this one bit, and sure as heck didn't need Spider-Man involved. But just in case this was much bigger than he realized - i.e., gangs - then an extra pair of hands wouldn't hurt at all.

"I see him," Spider-Man said.

"Good. I can't," Daredevil answered, flipping in mid-air, then catching himself with his extended billy-club.

"Why's that?" asked Spider-Man, following suit.

"Because I'm blind."

Daredevil surpressed a grin when he heard Spider-Man gasp. This _was_ kinda fun. Spider-Man shot a web, snagging hold of the criminals feet, sending him spilling to the ground. Daredevil swooped in then, and slammed him against the wall. He then spun him around and allowed Spider-Man to continue webbing him up.

"Talk," Daredevil commanded, his hands on the man's jaw and cheeks.

"I don't know anything! I was hired!"

"Hired to do what?" interrogated Daredevil.

Spider-Man picked up file folder on the ground. "What is this?" he asked, glancing at some of the papers inside.

"You heard him!" yelled Daredevil. "What is that?"

"I don't know! Honest!"

Just then, a man entered the alley. He was tall, hearing a trench coat. He looked quite ordinary, brown hair, brown eyes, medium build. He glanced between Spider-Man with the file and Daredevil with the criminal.

"I'll take that," the man said.

"I don't think so," Spider-Man said, closing the file and stepping back.

"It's mine. The man back at the car was a courier. Please, it's government material. Highly classified."

Daredevil listened to the man's voice, searching it for any change in pitch or variation that might indicate a lie, but found none. Still, there was something not quite right about this . . .

"And how do I know it's classified?" questioned Spider-Man.

"It says so on the front of the folder, in big red letters."

Spider-Man looked at the front. "Oh. Yeah. There it is."

"Give it to him, Spider-Man," Daredevil told him. Spider-Man complied, handing it over to the trench-coated man.

"Thank you," the man said, taking the folder under his arm. "I asked the courier to call the police right after he hung up with me. I suggest the both of you leave by then. And thank you for your assistance."

Spider-Man looked over at Daredevil - who had already vanished into thin air. Spider-Man shot up a web and took off. He swung across the street and half a block down and watched as the police arrived. He didn't see the trench-coated man again, which surprised him.

"So what was in that file?"

Gasping with surprise, Spider-Man turned around and faced Daredevil. "Geez! Give a guy a heart attack!"

Daredevil nodded. "Sorry."

"I couldn't make out much of it with the light we had back there. It looked like mostly stats and numbers. That's all."

"Anything jump out at you?"

"Yeah. One word, actually."

"And what's that?"

"'Wolverine.'"


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

As he entered the apartment, Peter was surprised to see Mary Jane sitting on the couch. Next to Harry no less. It had only been, what, two weeks since Norman Osborn's death. She had confessed her feelings to Peter at the funeral. Peter had denied her feelings towards him, inwardly citing his responsibilities as Spider-Man - even though he more than reciprocated those feelings.

He had remembered Harry saying something about he and Mary Jane having a long talk about everything since his fathers death. Apparently they were able to patch things up rather quickly. Harry gave Peter a passing grin, while MJ looked over awkwardly.

There was an elephant in the room and apparently, everyone seemed to just want to avoid it. Peter smiled and walked over. "What are you watching?" he asked.

"Some special about Mutants. Nothing really exciting," Harry answered.

"They . . . they were talking about that big green guy that ripped through San Francisco six months ago," Mary Jane continued, breaking the ice. "It was just officially reported that it wasn't a Mutant."

Peter nodded in puzzlement. "If he's not a Mutant . . . then what is he?"

"I don't know, Pete. Kinda weird, though. Does this mean Spider-Man isn't a Mutant?"

Shocked, Peter tried to hide his expression. "Who said he is?"

Harry grinned at Mary Jane. "Well, MJ, you know him better than both of us. What do you think?"

Mary Jane shrugged. "I don't know. I think he's a man. Just with powers."

Harry grunted, his face losing the grin. "The only powers he has . . . is to take lives . . ." 

Peter didn't say anything to that. Harry still blamed Spider-Man for Norman's death. Standing up for Spider-Man would strain their friendship . . . and probably bring that damn elephant back into the room. So, Peter didn't answer and made his way up the stairs. As he walked up, he noticed that Mary Jane decided to make eye contact. For the briefest of seconds, they locked eyes.

And then it was broken and Peter walked upstairs to be alone.

***

As Matt Murdock, Daredevil made sure that the assassin-for-hire called Bullseye remained where he was supposed to. In jail. So when word reached him that Bullseye had been released - into whose custody, he still didn't know - it was time for Daredevil to be concerned.

Walking across the rooftops, he was suddenly reminded of the incident from last night. From what he was able to deduce the government was working on some sort of project here in New York City. In Hell's Kitchen, no less.

As much as he wanted to stay out of the government's way, he couldn't help it when it came to Bullseye. And when he saw the same man that recovered the file from Spider-Man last night now walking out a car with Bullseye, Daredevil was a little concerned. He leapt and followed them into an old warehouse and stood silently as he listened to the conversation within.

"_We were lucky,_" said the man from last night. "_We weren't supposed to get this file. Daredevil and Spider-Man stopped our men, but I intervened at the last minute. Those two costumed fools that I was with the courier. Never had a clue._"

"_So what's this all about?_" asked Bullseye then.

"_One word: Mutants. Three weeks ago, they were responsible for the death of an old friend of mine, Colonel William Stryker. He believed that a Mutant haven known as the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters is the training ground for a Mutant strike-force. I agree with him, even after his death._"

Bullseye snorted. "_And what do you want me to do about it?_"

"_Stryker had a plan. Using files he gathered from a man named General Ross, Stryker built up a contingency plan. One that we are implementing now._"

"_And just what is that contingency plan?_"

"_Tell me, Bullseye, while you were in jail, did you hear about that monster that trashed San Francisco? The one believed dead?_"

"_Yes._"

"_We believe it's still alive and we want you to recover it. If a strong enough tranquilizer is delivered to the base of his neck, it'll knock hm out. You're the best man for the job. You knock him out, we pick him up, drop him off at Xavier's School. He smashes the place up, and we're all happy. Then you knock him out again, and I hand him back over to General Ross._"

"_I see. If this green monster and a vigilante does this all for you, then your hands are clean._"

"_Mutants are dangerous. How would you like to help us out?_"

"_Just give me the money and the creatures location._"

"_Anything else?_"

"_Yeah. Security. I don't want that red-clad hornhead comin' after me again._"

"_Certainly._"

Bullseye stood up. "_You know, I never get your name._"

"_Just call me Mr. Trask._"

Daredevil moved into the shadows then and watched as Bullseye walked out. He looked up at Daredevil and smiled. Daredevil ran off into the night as Bullseye started to laugh.

***

Swinging across the tall buildings of New York, Spider-Man made eye contact with the open window of his apartment. He swung in, and landed perfectly and silently. He pulled off his mask and just as he was about to completely undress, something outside caught his eye.

He spun around to the building across the street, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Pausing for a moment, Peter decided to chock it up to his imagination and got out of his costume. Something kept his spider-sense tingling, but he tried to ignore it and went to bed.

After a restless sleep, Peter woke up, got dressed and headed off to another job interview. Just as he exited his apartment building, his eyes fell upon a tall man with red hair and red sunglasses. His heart skipped a beat. There was something very familiar about this guy. The man smiled.

"Matt Murdock," the man said, stepping forward, grasping Peter's hand. "And I know who you are."

Peter's eyes widened. "Wha . . . what?"

He bent close to Peter's ear. "'Does whatever a spider can,'" he partially sang.

Peter took one giant step back. "Who are you?"

"Just a blind guy."

It clicked. "Daredevil."

"Yes. That's right. I need your help, Peter. And so do many others."


	4. Chapter Three

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! I've been caught in other projects and I hit about a thousand walls with story. But now I've got some new ideas and I'm looking forward to returning to it! So, without further ado . . .

Chapter Three

Bullseye ran his fingers across the palms of his hand, surprised at just how much the government cleaned up. A few months ago, a bullet had sliced through them, leaving two smoldering holes. Luckily, these government stiffs helped him out, repairing the damage. And all it cost him was a trip to Canada to stick a few needles into a monster.

At that thought, Bullseye pulled out a small case from his duster pocket. He poped it open, revealing eight long syringes, full of super-strong tranquilizers topped off with adamantium tips. One was to be delivered to the creature's neck, two more to the arms, and the rest wherever else Bullseye could put it. One of these could knock out an elephant, so the hope was that eight could knock out Banner.

Bullseye sighed and pulled off his headphones as the pilot of the helicopter turned to him. "We've got a sighting. He should be nearby."

The assassin-for-hire looked out the window and spotted something strange, but not totally unexpected. Trees were collapsing below them and he could have sworn he saw a flash of green flesh. The helicopter made for the trees and Bullseye, putting the case away, jumped out.

***

General Ross was far from happy.

Files had been pulled without his permission, calls were being made that weren't supposed to be made, and he was being left in the dark. 'Angry Man' - Banner - had been his project for the past six months, but it was suddenly feeling it was all being pulled out from under him. He had been given the runaround for the past three days, but had finally been able to meet with someone that would hopefully give him exactly what he was looking for.

"Agent Pratt," Ross said straightly to the man in front of him.

"General Ross," Pratt replied. Comparatively, Pratt was a larger man; taller, wider, with dark hair and a goatee. "My apologies for all this, General Ross. This is a major smoke-and-mirrors project, as you know. I'm with NSA, but it goes bit deeper than that."

"Let's cut the bullshit," Ross said harshly. "What's this all about?"

Agent Pratt smiled, which only angered Ross more. "Mutants. I take you've heard of the mutant problems this country has been having."

"Of course."

"They want to send your . . . 'Angry Man' after these so-called X-Men in up-state New York."

"Who are 'they?'"

"A group left-over from Colonel Stryker's task force. But between you and me, that's just a test run. We're allowing them to take down the X-Men and all of the mutants under their tutelage for one purpose - to keep them out of enemy hands."

Now Ross was just confused. "What?"

"There's a secret war going on here, General. One that your 'Angry Man' is playing a vital part of. If our enemy gets to that mutant facility and manages to take it over, then all of humanity is over and done with. We're allowing your 'Angry Man' to wipe them out for us, and therefore saving the day."

"Just how is this enemy?"

Pratt pulled out a file folder and handed it over to Ross. Ross opened and looked over the information inside. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm afraid not. This conflict has been happening for years."

"Vampires?"

"Yes. A living race of them and they've set their sights on the Xavier School. We wipe out the school with 'Angry Man' and we not only ensure that the military isn't connected, but we also ensure that the Vampire nation does not add the mutant gene to their gene pool. Vampires with mutant powers . . . humanity would fall."

Ross closed the folder and threw it on the desk. "This is crazy," he sighed. "This is just insane. You're playing - "

"Come with me, General Ross."

Agent Pratt stood up and led the elder general out of the room, down a corridor to a metal door with a computer panel next to it. Pratt placed his hand on it and the door came unlocked. Both men walked in.

And General Ross would never be able to forget what he saw on the other side.

***

The helicopters had made him nervous. Banner had been on edge since he was forced to fake his death, so that didn't help things. But when the helicopters showed up, it pushed him right over. The Hulk came back and took control.

Hulk was wandering now, calming down. The woods were quiet now that the helicopters were gone and the Hulk managed to soak the small noises of nature. He walked towards a frozen lake and sat down, eyes peering into the ice, and passed that frozen surface. Beneath, the fish were swimming as if it were still summer.

A rustle from behind him caught the Hulk's attention. Just as he began to move, something sharp pierced the back his neck. The Hulk stood and roared. A bald man with a target on his forehead stood not far away.

"Leave Hulk alone!" yelled Hulk.

"You can talk?" gasped Bullseye. He had never seen anything like this. Even the between the briefings and video from San Francisco hadn't prepared him for this. Bullseye's mind stopped the flight option of the flight-or-fight options and he quickly dispatched another dart. It struck right on target - the left forearm.

Hulk roared again and thundered over to Bullseye. Bullseye immediately ran back and tossed another dart. It hit the right arm now.

"LEAVE HULK ALONE!" the green behemoth groaned loudly.

Hulk threw a punch at Bullseye. Bullseye ducked, leapt forward and slammed the rest of the darts into Hulk's chest. Instantly, Hulk's swings became weaker, his shouts quieter, and his face was looking more and more weary by the second.

After nearly twenty seconds, the Hulk collapsed.

***

Peter woke up, not really sure as to why. His spider-sense wasn't going off, but he felt that something was different. His eyes darted to his window, and there crouched Daredevil.

"Ahhh! Don't look! What are you, a peeping tom?" Peter groaned, getting out of bed. "Er, uh, no offense."

Daredevil smiled. "None taken. Get into your costume and meet me on the roof."

"Um, yeah. Sure."

Stupid! Peter thought, pulling on his traditional red and blue costume. He chided himself for a blind joke to a blind guy, but pushed it out of his mind. As Spider-Man, he crawled out of his window and up the wall of the building to the roof.

Daredevil stood there, his senses telling him that Spider-Man had arrived. "Good to see you again," Spider-Man said, then proceeded to kick himself. "Oh, geez, sorry about that."

"You're going to joke if you keep putting your foot in your mouth."

"Yeah. No kidding. Now what's this all about?"

Daredevil could hear Spider-Man's heart beat a little faster. There wasn't a whole lot of trust here. Not that Daredevil could really blame him. If someone dressed in devil outfit found out that you're really a super-hero, it would make things a little harder to work with.

"Spider-Man . . . Peter . . . we need to talk first. I know you're having doubts about this . . . 'super-hero team-up' situation we have going on. But we need to trust each other. You know who I am, and I know who you are. It's as simple as that. I know you do good work, like saving those kids on the bridge. You know I do good work - like taking down the Kingpin. Now, you could just as easily reveal my true identity as I could yours. So, you and I need to realize that only together and by trusting each not do just that are we going save lives here. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"The reason I revealed my identity to you is because it's a responsibility and it's that responsibility that we're going to bonded with. That secret. It's a power that we both hold over each other. You see, Spider-Man, with great power . . ."

". . . Come great responsibility. Yeah."

"Yeah. So, do you trust me?"

Spider-Man paused, then slowly nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"Good. And I trust you," Daredevil replied. "Now . . . this is what's happening . . ."


End file.
